Fundamentals Examination

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally taken during the applicant’s final year of school or immediately after graduation. No engineering experience is required; however, evidence of acceptable education is required. Education requirements specific to licensure eligibility in Florida can be found on the Application Process page under the Licensure section of our website.

The FE exam is a computer-based exam administered year-round in testing windows at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers. For more information on exam scheduling, please visit the NCEES FE page.

The exams will be discipline-specific for both morning and afternoon sessions and will be divided into two sections of approximately 55 questions each. The examinee will be given 5 hours and 20 minutes to answer all 110 questions. The examinee may take a 25-minute break after the first section of questions. NCEES will provide you with an online FE Reference Handbook at the exam site. You should select the module (options are listed at the NCEES Exams page) that best corresponds to your undergraduate degree. Grades will be released by NCEES within seven to 10 days of your exam date directly to you and to the Board. You may attempt the exam only once per testing window.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

A candidate seeking to take the FE exam has two options for registration: direct registration with NCEES, or pre-approved with FBPE. Please read the registration option details below very carefully. The State of Florida requires specific education requirements to obtain Engineer Intern certification or Professional Engineer licensure regardless of what registration option is selected. We encourage you to contact us regarding these requirements prior to registering for the FE exam or applying for the PE exam should you have any questions.

OPTION 1 – DIRECT REGISTRATION WITH NCEES – FE EXAM ONLY

A candidate can register directly with NCEES to sit for the FE exam by creating a MyNCEES account on the NCEES website. Once the account is created the candidate can select Register and follow the on-screen instructions. An exam fee of $175 is payable directly to NCEES during this process. When registration is completed and approved, the candidate will be notified and provided authorization to schedule the exam appointment. An exam appointment can be scheduled by accessing the candidate’s MyNCEES account, selecting Schedule, and choosing their preferred Pearson VUE test center and exam date. Candidates will receive their exam results directly from NCEES.

Please see the graphic below for a map of Pearson VUE centers located near Florida’s engineering colleges. Note that you are not limited to a certain location to take the exam. For a full listing of approved test centers, go to the Pearson VUE website.

If the candidate wishes to apply for certification as an Engineer Intern (EI) in Florida and has directly registered with NCEES, the FE Endorsement Application must be completed and submitted to FBPE for approval. Once the application has been paid in full, processed and approved, an EI certification will be issued to the candidate. The fee for applying by endorsement is $100. The application for FE Endorsement is located at the bottom of this page.

OPTION 2 – FE EXAM APPLICATION/REGISTRATION WITH FBPE

A candidate can also apply with FBPE prior to registering for the FE exam with NCEES. A candidate seeking professional licensure in Florida, who wants to ensure that he or she has met the education requirements to qualify as an Engineer Intern, should submit the FE Initial Examination Application and a fee of $30 to FBPE. Once the application has been reviewed and approved by FBPE, the candidate can then register with NCEES.

The registration process with NCEES is the same as stated above in that the candidate must create a MyNCEES account to register, pay the $175 exam fee, and choose the exam period that best suits their schedule from one of the exam windows. Once the exam has been completed the grades will be reported to the candidate and the Board.When the Board receives notification of the passing candidates, EI certificates will be issued and mailed to the recipient.

If the candidate should not achieve a passing score, he or she must either re-register directly with NCEES (if this option was taken) or submit a re-exam application to FBPE for approval to schedule another attempt to take the exam. Note: Only one attempt to take the exam can be made within an exam window. We encourage you to access this link often as the content of this guide may be updated from time to time.

ATTENTION FE EXAMINEES

If you want to sit for the FE examination you have two choices to register: pre-approval from FBPE or direct registration with NCEES. PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW VERY CAREFULLY. Additional information or action is required depending on which option you choose.

If you have already taken the FE examination and did not apply with FBPE prior to taking the exam, but seek EI certification, you MUST complete the Application for Endorsement of Engineer Intern Certification and submit the appropriate payment.

First-time FE Exam takers who opt for pre-approved registration with FBPE before taking the exam should complete either the Fundamentals of Engineering Application or the Fundamentals of Engineering Foreign Degree Application.

QUICK LINKS

NCEES Examinee Guide
The NCEES Examinee Guide is the official guide to policies and procedures for all NCEES exams. All examinees are required to read this document before starting the exam registration process. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the current version, so we encourage you to access this link often as the content of this guide may be updated from time to time.

NCEES FE Exam Specifications
This link provides the specifications for each of the discipline specific FE Exams offered by NCEES and gives the examinee an overall look at the number of questions and topics that will be covered in each exam.

FE Exam Reference Handbook
To download the FE Exam Reference Handbook, you must enter a valid email address to receive a password to access the handbook. Once the password is sent to you electronically, enter it on the same page where you entered your email address to access and download the reference guide.

NCEES Media on YouTube
NCEES’ media channel on YouTube includes videos for examinees on the computer-based testing and exam-day process and experience, the benefits of professional licensure, NCEES’ outreach efforts to promote engineering, and working with member boards to advance the engineering profession.

FBPE APPLICATIONS

This application is used by first time applicants. It is also used by applicants who have failed the exam three times and who have completed the 12 college credit hours necessary to apply again for the exam.

FUNDAMENTALS RE-EXAMINATION APPLICATION – $30 FEE

This application is used by applicants who have previously been approved to sit for the exam and have either failed the exam, but have less than three fails, or the applicant did not show for the exam. Approvals are for one exam date only and each exam attempt must be applied for individually. Failure to show for a scheduled exam administration will not count against your three allowed fails but, a new re-exam application must be submitted for an additional exam date approval.

This application is used by applicants to transfer the EIT certification from another state to Florida and by applicants who have passed the FE exam after direct registration with NCEES. If you have passed the FE examination and are currently certified as an engineer intern, you may transfer your certification to Florida, if you meet Florida’s application requirements. Interns who hold foreign bachelor of science degrees in engineering will be required to have a current evaluation done for the FBPE by an approved Florida provider.